Covid-19 Vaccine Concerns in the Pediatric Age Group
This topic is the lecture given by Dr. Fatima Ignacio Gimenez, the Chair of the Immunization Committee of the Philippine Pediatric Society in the webinar that i listened to this morning.
Dr. Gimenez reiterated and re emphasized the benefits of immunization which are the following:
– getting vaccinated saves lives and protects the individual and the community
– getting vaccinated prevents an individual from death and getting severely ill but one may still be at risk for infection
– there is no vaccine that is 100% effective nor a 100% safe, but the benefits outweigh perceived risks.
There was a steady increase in Covid cases in the past months in all age groups and majority of cases are still in the adult population.
In children, there are more cases in the adolescent age group and increased mortality in the very young but not as much as the adult population.
Dr Gimenez further stated that studies have shown that children acquire SARS-COV2 infection from adults and only 10% of the eligible population has been fully vaccinated.
She further stressed that since there is not enough vaccine supply as of now then the priority is to vaccinate the older age group who are more vulnerable of acquiring the infection and who are the most likely primary source of infection for the children. And to date, it is good to know that Pfizer-BioNTech is the only vaccine licensed with data for use in children 12 years and older.
As a Filipino citizen, we should do our part in rebuilding and protecting our nation for the future of our children’s children. We should promote vaccination, correct misinformation and guard against disinformation. And as what Dr Fatima Gimenez said at the end of her lecture and i quote, “Maging Bayani sa Sarili mong tahanan. Let us Champion Immunization”.